Wednesday, July 3, 2013A third of the "legacy cities" are in Ohio -- most in the northeast cornerRepairing what's wrong would be tough but "possible," study saysStory by GRACE MURRAY

In The Region:

A recent study by Massachusetts researchers suggests Ohio should begin to invest in its aging industrial cities.

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy analyzed 18 industrial cities facing decline across the country, calling them “legacy cities.” Six cities from Ohio made the list, which was determined by continued job and population loss.

Co-author Alan Mallach says the decline of these cities began decades ago, so any changes will not come quickly.

"There are some major hurdles, and I don’t mean to suggest that it’s easy and I don’t know that every city is going to be able to pull it off. It’s going to take, in addition to resources, really solid leadership, a consistent strategy and a lot of things that sometimes cities have difficulty putting together. But I think it’s possible.

Mallach says Ohio will be able to begin bringing people back to its cities if it focuses on creating a competitive economy and rebuilding downtown districts and neighborhoods. The northeast Ohio cities on the list include Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Youngstown.